20 Things Every Australian Hears Overseas

By Catherine Blake5th Nov 2017

Nothing is so exhilarating than the sight of an Aussie abroad. Our windswept charm and zinc stripes continue to seduce the planet with every utterance of ‘How’s it gaarn?’ and our playful antics have cemented our position as the cheeky funsters of the globe.

Going on these marvellous adventures comes with its fair share of culture shock, the negative effects of which are often mitigated by our perennial chill, and despite how hard we try to blend in there are some things we just can’t shake.

‘Your accent is so cute' It takes a lot of work to make a diphthong sound good.

‘How do you know Hugh Jackman?’ He’s everyone’s second cousin.

‘Ok but seriously when is drop bear season? I need to know so I can avoid it when I book tickets to Australia.’ Literally all the time, there’s no way to escape so just avoid trees.

(Holding a bag of fresh prawns) ‘Can you teach me how to cook shrimp?’ If you mention that word in my presence again I will end you.

‘Why do all your most famous singers get their start on Neighbours?’ With the exception of John Farnham you mean?

‘Where’s your umbrella?’ We’re always forgetting that rain is a thing that happens.

‘Haha, the way you pronounced that word wrong is adorable.’ More adorable than the incorrect way you’re spelling it?

‘Why do you have so many Prime Ministers?’ How much time do you have?

‘And why do you pronounce it as one word: priminister?’ To save time and effort.

‘Is all your slang just ‘-o’ and ‘-azza’ added to the ends of ordinary words?’ These linguistic nuances are just another glorious aspect of language’s intricate tapestry-o.

‘How many kangaroos do you own?’ A couple of dozen, they help keep the emus at bay.

‘Do you live in Sydney or the Outback?’ It’s either one or the other.

‘What’s wrong with your coffee?’ Everything.

‘You were so brave back there with that spider.’ That wasn’t a spider *whips out phone* this is a spider.

‘Why is everyone your ‘mate’?’ We’re just super-optimistic about the prospect of future friendships, mate.

‘What do you guys see in cricket?’ Take. That. Back.

‘Your English is really good.’ Yeah, funny that.

‘What’s a Maccas?’ You guys are so fancy using their full name all the time.

(After tasting vegemite for the first time) ‘ARGHKHTHPB!’ Oysters, caviar, Vegemite – the finer things are always an acquired taste.

‘I’m sorry, did you just say you’re wearing thongs plural?’ One for each foot, duh.

Contact

Connect With Us

Update to privacy policy and how we use cookies

We use cookies (om nom nom nom) to provide a better online experience, including to serve targeted ads. By using our website, you accept our use of cookies. For more information see our privacy and information policy